TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting
Director Gary Poedubicky have circled October
10 on the calendar as a day they hope no
motorists will lose their lives on New Jersey’s
roads.
For
11 years, October 10 has been dubbed “Put
the Brakes on Fatalities Day”. The
day of awareness is a national initiative
that was designed to unite the country in
moving toward zero fatalities for one full
day by encouraging motorists to obey all
traffic laws, including buckling up, every
ride; driving the posted speed limit; avoiding
distractions while driving; and always being
safe and sober behind the wheel.
“Clearly,
this effort will go a long way in our continuing
efforts to stem the tide of tragedies that
occur every day on New Jersey’s roadways,”
Attorney General Dow said. “Shining
the spotlight on this one day can help create
a groundswell of support for good driving
behaviors that can carry over throughout
the year and continue safe passage on the
roads for all New Jersey motorists.”
Last
year in New Jersey, 556 individuals lost
their lives in motor vehicle-related crashes,
down from 583 in 2009. Three lost their
lives on October 10 in 2010. The overall
decline continues a four-year downward trend
in motor vehicle fatalities and marks the
lowest number of recorded motor vehicle
deaths in the state since the 1940s.
Acting
Director Poedubicky warned that despite
the notable decrease in fatalities, recent
studies have shown that poor driving behaviors
persist in the state. He pointed to poll
results from a Fairleigh Dickinson University
PublicMind released in August, which found
that nearly 40 percent of drivers admitted
to using a hand-held phone while driving,
25 percent of drivers admitted to texting,
and 19 percent said they had consumed alcohol
before getting behind the wheel. Those numbers
were even higher among drivers younger than
30.
“To
reach our goals of zero fatalities on October
10, we need to see a concerted effort by
the public to follow all laws and refrain
from those bad behaviors that are a factor
in 85 percent of fatal crashes,” Poedubicky
said.
The
Division encourages motorists to join the
effort by adhering to traffic regulations
including:
-
Buckling seatbelts during every ride,
no matter how short
-
Obeying all speed limits
-
Stopping to let pedestrians use designated
crosswalks
-
Using crosswalks (as a pedestrian) when
traveling by foot
-
Refraining from aggressive driving behaviors
-
Refraining from driving if impaired
-
Wearing a helmet if operating a motorcycle
or riding a bicycle
-
Focusing solely on driving, and avoiding
distractions such as texting, making phone
calls or using an iPod or other device
Additional
information on “Put the Brakes on
Fatalities Day” is available at www.brakesonfatalities.org.
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